Our review of the top five riders in the WorldTour continues with the fourth-ranked rider, the ‘Mighty Degs’ – Giant-Alpecin’s John Degenkolb.
Age: 26.
Ranking: 5.
WorldTour races: 6.
Points: 232 (2 in stage races, 230 in one-day races).
WorldTour results:
- Paris-Nice: One 3rd place (7 pts).
- Milan-San Remo: 1st (100 pts).
- E3 Harelbeke: 25th (0 pts).
- Gent-Wevelgem: DNF (0 pts).
- Ronde van Vlaanderen: 7th (30 pts).
- Paris-Roubaix: 1st (10 pts).
The difference between the Mighty Degs and Alexander Kristoff, the rider immediately ahead of him in the rankings, is minimal. Just five points separate the pair – essentially the difference between Degenkolb scoring only a single third place at Paris-Nice versus Kristoff’s win and fourth place.
Otherwise, each of the two has mustered 230 points during the spring classics. But while Kristoff’s tally came via a win at Flanders and a steady accumulation in his other races, Degs has been hit-and-miss. More ‘hit’, in truth, with victories in Milan-San Remo (where he beat defending champion Kristoff into second) and Paris-Roubaix (where he went one better than in 2014) propelling him into the exclusive club of multiple monument winners.
He failed to register any points at E3 Harelbeke and Gent-Wevelgem, and while Kristoff won the Ronde van Vlaanderen Degs was a still impressive seventh.
The powerful German isn’t scheduled to compete again at WorldTour level until the Tour de France, where he will be riding primarily in support of Marcel Kittel. After that, don’t be surprised if he participates yet again in the Vuelta a Espana, where he won five stages in 2012 and four stages and the points competition last year.
Tomorrow: Joaquim Rodriquez.